CANADIAN SEAL HUNT

Thousands of harp seal pups are in danger of slaughter on the ice floes of Eastern Canada. Undeterred by seal pups drowning in their melting habitat, the Canadian government continues to sanction even more killings – the largest slaughter of marine mammals on the planet!

More than 2 million seals have been killed in the last 10 years. Most of these animals were just days or weeks old, and forced to endure incomprehensible cruelty. The last time this many seals were killed, the harp seal population was reduced by as much as two thirds within a decade.

Independent scientists have warned that reckless kill levels authorized by the Canadian government, paired with the impacts of climate change on the ice dependent harp seals, poses a serious threat to the survival of harp seal populations. In 2010, the sea ice simply didn't form in key seal birthing areas. For ice breeding harp seals, it is a disaster. When the sea ice doesn't form, many mothers are often forced to abort their pups in the water. When the ice that does form is too thin and fragile, pups are forced into the open water before they are old enough to survive there.

The harp seals' sea ice habitat is literally melting from under them.

The hunt is opposed by the overwhelming majority of people in Canada and around the world, and governments are increasingly taking action on behalf of their citizens. In 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a unanimous resolution calling on the Canadian government to end the commercial seal hunt. Last year the European Union voted to prohibit trade in seal products and Russia announced a complete ban on the slaughter of seals younger than 1 year old. In the United States, a boycott of Canadian seafood products that will continue until the seal hunt is ended has gained the support of more than 5,000 establishments and 600,000 individuals, costing the Canadian economy many times the value of the commercial seal hunt.

TAKE ACTION!

Live from the Ice 2016

Canada's commercial seal hunt is set to begin its 2016 season. The hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. Shot or clubbed mainly for their fur, defenseless pups die a cruel death. HSI is again sending a team to the ice to document the cruelty, and is the only team to do so. It is the 18th year that HSI Canada's Rebecca Aldworth is witnessing the cruelty first hand. Our Protect Seals team works year-round to shut down the commercial sealing industry—we are successfully helping to close global markets for seal pelts, and we are working to ensure that the European Union's ban on trade in products of commercial seal hunts stays strong.

All latest news from the 2016 Live from the Ice will be updated below as it comes in.

April 26

12 days into the 2016 seal hunt and 50,857 seals have been slaughtered

Live from the Ice 2014

This year, Canada’s Fisheries Minister has set a quota of 400,000 baby harp seals to be slaughtered. On the 14th April Rebecca texted the dreaded news: the baby seal slaughter has begun, and the situation is dire.

Unbelievably, the Canadian government claims that the killing is humane and closely monitored. But out on the ice, we counted 11 sealing boats with zero enforcement. From what we saw, the slaughter is entirely unregulated.

LATEST UPDATE:

On 22nd May the World Trade Organization made a decision to uphold the European Union’s ban on products of commercial seal hunts, keeping one of the largest markets closed to this cruelty. In the past five years alone, the European Union ban has saved more than 1.6 million baby seals from a horrible fate, and today’s news proves we’re one step closer to ending this slaughter forever.

Rebecca has reported that as of the 8th May, 49,705 seals have been clubbed, shot and skinned for their fur.

video- canada starts annual seal hunt

Live from the Ice 2013

Executive Director of Humane Society International / Canada, Rebecca Aldworth is posting daily updates during this year' s seal hunt. This marks Rebecca' s 15th year observing the cruel and unnecessary Canadian seal hunt first hand.

ROUND-UP OF THE 2013 SEASON

The 2013 commercial seal hunt off the Newfoundland coast in Canada has finally come to an end with over 800 hunters taking the lives of more than 80,000 harp seals for their fur, with most of them less than 3 months old. According to the Seals and Sealing Network, the industry was aiming to “harvest” 100,000 seals this year, but the total allowable catch was never released by the Canadian government prior to the opening of the hunt. In 2012 around 680 sealers took part in the hunt and killed more than 70,000 seals – their quota was 400,000. The previous year saw the brutal killing of 38,000 harp seals, less than 10 per cent of the total allowable catch. Click the links below to learn more about the background of the Canadian Seal Hunt and find out how you can help put an end this cruel trade.